Namibia Energy & Environment: 2010 and beyond

NAMIBIA Protected Landscape Conservation Areas Initiative (NAM-PLACE)

National Implementing Partner: Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Directorate of Environmental Affairs +264 61 284 2751 2011 -2015

Key Issues: UNCBD

Project Status: Ongoing

Location: Namibia, Windhoek

Contact person: Mr. Michael Sibalatani, Project Manager

Goals and objectives

The Goal of this Strengthened National Terrestrial Protected Area Networks Programme is: Namibia’s Biodiversity and Ecosystem Values are Conserved and Provide Sustainable Benefit Flows at Local, National and Global Levels through the Establishment of Protected Landscape Conservation Areas. The project will be responsible for achieving the following project objective: Protected Landscape Conservation Areas are established and ensure that land uses in areas adjacent to existing Protected Areas are compatible with biodiversity conservation objectives, and corridors are established to sustain the viability of wildlife populations.

Description / Background

Namibia has a large biodiversity endowment, which is of global significance. Although predominantly a semi arid country, Namibia contains a remarkable variety of ecosystems, ranging from hyper-arid deserts with less than 10mm of rainfall to subtropical wetlands and savannas receiving over 600mm of precipitation per annum. Four major terrestrial biomes exist, namely: Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo, Desert and Tree and Shrub Savannah. On a finer scale, 29 different vegetation types are currently recognised, many of which are wholly unique to Namibia or to the southern African sub continent. These biomes are storehouses of high species richness: the country harbours 4,000 species and subspecies of higher plants and 658 species of birds have been recorded, of which approximately 30% is migrant. 217 species of mammals are found including unique arid varieties of desert-adapted rhino and elephant. Finally, the herpetofauna and invertebrate fauna display high diversity and endemism quotients.

The proposed project is designed to lift the barriers to establishment of a large scale network of protected landscapes and in doing so address threats to habitat and species loss on a landscape level approach, ensuring greater responsiveness to variability and seasonality issues around climate change. The project will directly bring an additional 15,550 ha of land under PA collaborative management arrangements designed to conserve biodiversity, including unprotected lands by establishing five Protected Landscape Conservation Areas (PLCA). PLCAs will first and foremost be managed for the full suite of biodiversity and landscape values, including ecosystem services (which are better managed at landscape level), also for ecosystem functioning, also performing better at landscape level, for sustainable land management and for economic performance.

The project will comprise three complementary components which will be cost shared by the GEF and co-financing. Each addresses a different barrier and has discrete outcomes. Component One will entail the development of a framework for the formalisation of existing protected landscape collaborative management arrangements as well as the creation of national level best practices guidelines for PLCA establishment developed based on, but improving, existing adaptive management arrangements. Component Two will entail the development of strategic plans approved for each PLCA as well as management and work plans for each individual landholding (e.g. conservancy, private farm, etc.) forming part of a PLCA in place. Component Three will entail developing the crucial economical sustainability aspect of PLCA management. The project is designed to generate global and national benefits through protecting globally important ecosystems. This will protect the existence values, option values and future use values enjoyed by the global community and national stakeholders that might otherwise be forfeited, should the PA estate fail to provide an effective buffer against anthropogenic threats prevalent at the landscape level.

The project is likely to run through two consecutive UNDAFs because the current UNDAF is extended to 2012 and in 2013 Namibia is likely to have a new UNDAF.

Table 1: Project outcome

Table 2: Project Budget

Selected Partners

• Country Pilot Partnerships for Sustainable Land Management
• Civil Society Organization
• Desert Research Foundation of Namibia
• Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry
• Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Ministry of Health and Social Services
• Ministry of Land and Resettlement
• Ministry of Mines and Energy
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Finance
• Ministry of Regional and Local Government
• Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing and Rural Development
• Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project
• Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations
• Namibian Police
• National Planning Commission
• Namibia Nature Foundation
• Namibia Tourism Board
• Namibia Wildlife Resorts
• Traditional Authority
• United Nations
• World Resources Institute
• World Wide Fund for Nature
• University of Namibia

Funding is provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) www.thegef.org/gef/gef_country_prg/NA

Contact Details:

C/O The National Project Director: Director of Environmental Affairs

Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET)

Directorate of Environmental Affairs

Private Bag 13306

Tel.+ 264 61 2842751

Website www.met.na

C/O The Head of Energy and Environment Programme

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Energy & Environment Unit

Private Bag 13329, Klein Windhoek

Tel. + 264 61 204 6111 /6231

Website: www.undp.un.na